Greece’s growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) declined 0.3 percent in the last quarter of 2003, making for an annual rate of 5.0 percent. This performance was the worst on a quarterly basis among the 10 EU members for which data was available, but the best on an annual basis, according to Eurostat data released yesterday. The EU average growth rate was 0.6 percent on an annual basis, against 0.3 percent in the third quarter. Eurostat said the sluggish recovery was due to higher investment rather than stronger consumer demand, the respective rates being 0.8 and 0.3 percent. The EU’s economic powerhouse, Germany, remained bogged down with a zero growth rate on an annual basis. Eurostat forecasts growth rates between 0.3 and 0.7 percent in the eurozone in the first two quarters of 2004.